Can I retrieve my windows key after a failed hard disk e5-511-c56z?

krrrrazyk · December 2016

Greetings. The hard disk has failed and the laptop won't boot. How do I retrieve the windows key after installing the OS on a new hard disk? Thanks.

brummyfan2 · December 2016

Hi,

Your laptop will find the key when you install the OS in your new hard drive, it's embedded in BIOS.

krrrrazyk · December 2016

Thanks for the reply. Will the activation occur automatically? If it is originally a windows 8 computer, will it activate on a Windows 10 install?

brummyfan2 · December 2016

Hi,

Which OS was in the failed HDD?

krrrrazyk · December 2016

It was 8.1 originally, upgraded to Windows 10.

brummyfan2 · December 2016

Hi,

I don't think that key will work, you need to obtain key for Windows 10 as the deadline for free upgrade has passed.

krrrrazyk · December 2016

So I have established that the laptop will auto-activate Windows 10 Home. I also installed Windows 8.1 home, but it would not activate. As it turns out, the laptop was shipped with Windows 8 with Bing, so my version would not activate. I'm sticking with Windows 10 home, which will save me trying to find a download for Windows 8.1 with Bing. The only issue I have now is a PCI ENCRYPTION/DECRYPTION CONTROLLER device that won't auto-install. There is no driver for it on the Acer site, and windows update does not catch it. If you can offer advice on getting the driver installed, that would be great! Thanks very much.